Patients' support installation for a tomographic X-ray apparatus

Abstract

A patient's support installation for a transverse axial scanning or tomographic X-ray apparatus utilized for producing tomographic X-ray images, in particular of the skull as a laminagraphic object; consisting of a base or pedestal portion having a frame and a horizontally displaceable table plate which is supported on the latter; a holding arrangement encompassing the laminagraphic object on all sides thereof, fastened to the head end of the table plate, which possesses an aperture into which there is introducible the laminagraphic object to a desired depth; as well as means for fixing the skull in the desired position; and an X-ray transmitter or generator for generating an X-ray beam transilluminating the holding arrangement together with the laminagraphic object at the elevation of the laminagraphic plane, and for scanning the laminagraphic object from different directions in the laminagraphic plane; as well as including an X-ray measuring arrangement which is operatively connected with the X-ray generator and located behind the laminagraphic object in the direction of the beam. The foregoing is inventively attained, in a support installation of the above-mentioned type, by providing a transport web slidingly located on the table plate or pallette so as to be in the longitudinal direction thereof, as the patient support for introduction of the laminagraphic object into the holding arrangement, as well as an adjusting arrangement consisting of a drive means for effecting the displacement of the table plate and the holding arrangement which is coupled therewith with respect to the X-ray beam along the longitudinal direction of the table by specifiable amounts, and finally including an indicating means for the determination of these amounts.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In a patient's support installation for a tomographic X-ray apparatus producing tomographic X-ray images, particularly the skull of a patient as a laminagraphic object; including a base member mounting a frame; a table plate being horizontally slidably supported on said frame; a patient holding arrangement being fastened to the head-end of said table plate and adapted to encompass the laminagraphic object on all sides thereof; means for fastening said laminagraphic object in said holding arrangement in a predetermined position; X-ray generator means for generating an X-ray beam transilluminating said holding arrangement and said laminagraphic object at the elevation of the laminagraphic plane, and for scanning the laminagraphic object from different directions in the laminagraphic plane; and X-ray measuring means operatively connected with said X-ray generator means and being positioned behind said laminagraphic object in the direction of said X-ray beam, the improvement comprising: a transport web slidingly supported on said table plate for movement in the longitudinal direction thereof and forming a patient support for introduction of the laminagraphic object into said holding arrangement; an adjusting means for said laminagraphic object including drive means for effecting displacement of said table plate and of said holding arrangement on the longitudinal direction of said table plate with reference to said X-ray beam by specifiable amounts; and indicating means for determination of said displacement amounts. 
     
     
       2. An installation as claimed in claim 1, comprising light visor means directed towards said patient being fastened to the table-sided end of said holding arrangement. 
     
     
       3. An installation as claimed in claim 2, said indicating means comprising a pointer fastened to said table plate, and scale means mounted on said base member being longitudinally displaceable to the extent of the magnitude of the distance to a reference marking on said object, said scale means having a length at least equal to the table plate stroke and including first and second parallel and equal scale divisions, the first of said divisions having values increasing towards the foot end of said table plate and the second of said divisions having values decreasing towards the foot end of said table plate, the zero points of both divisions being offset relative to each other by the distance, at the head-ended contact of said table plate, between the central X-ray beam of said X-ray generator means and the beam of said light visor. 
     
     
       4. An installation as claimed in claim 1, comprising an aperture formed in said holding arrangement for introduction of said laminagraphic object; electromotor means for driving said transport web for conveying said object into said aperture; and limit switch means being located at an end of said aperture for interrupting drive of said transport web upon being contacted by said laminagraphic object.